In some games, lines of coins are found on the courses, which if run over and collected, will increase a kart's top speed and can be used to unlock kart parts. Having coins also helps players when their kart is hit by another: instead of spinning and losing control, they lose a coin. Coins are also lost when karts are struck by power-ups or fall off the tracks. The series also features advanced maneuvers such as drifting (also called power sliding), which allows a kart to rapidly turn in a direction preventing the need to brake; and hopping, which helps a kart to avoid obstacles or off-road parts and sometimes can be used to execute tighter turns (the kart makes a short hop and turns in the air, speeding off in the new direction when it lands).
Guinness World Records listed 6 records set by the Mario Kart series, including "First Console Kart Racing Game", "Best Selling Racing Game" and "Longest Running Kart Racing Franchise". Guinness World Records ranked the original Super Mario Kart number 1 on the list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.[13]

Jump up ↑ "The prince immediately questioned the princess, but she wouldn't tell him anything. After the prince, the magician threatened to put the princess into an enternal sleep if she did not talk, but even still, she said nothing. In his anger, the magician tried to cast a magic spell on the princess. The surprised prince tried to stop him, but the magician fought off the prince and went on chanting the spell. Then, when the spell was finally cast, Princess Zelda fell on that spot and enter a sleep from which she might never awake. At the same time, the magician also fell down and breathe his last." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 7, 8)

The Princess throws the Ocarina of Time into the moat in front of Hyrule Castle Town for Link to retrieve; as he touches it, Zelda appears before him in a vision and teaches him the "Song of Time", the final key to the Sacred Realm. Ironically, since the final barrier in the Sacred Realm could only be broken by the chosen Hero of Time, had Zelda not attempted to retrieve Triforce before Ganondorf, the timeline split and tragedies of the Adult Timeline could have been avoided.

Square had been developing simple RPGs, pseudo-3D games and racing games, although they failed to compete with the market, and did not perform well commercially. Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and his team grew pessimistic at the failures as the company faced bankruptcy, so he began to develop the RPG Final Fantasy as a personal final project to leave a legacy; if the game had sold poorly, he would have quit the industry to return to university.[3]

The next Legend of Zelda for the DS, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, was released December 7, 2009, in North America and December 11, 2009, in the UK. In this game, the 'spirit tracks', railroads which chain an ancient evil, are disappearing from Hyrule. Zelda and Link go to the 'Spirit Tower' (the ethereal point of convergence for the tracks) to find out why. But villains steal Zelda's body for the resurrection of the Demon King. Rendered disembodied, Zelda is left a spirit, and only Link (and a certain few sages) can see her. Together they go on a quest to restore the spirit tracks, defeat the Demon King, and return Zelda to her body. Using a modified engine of that used in Phantom Hourglass, the notably new feature in this game is that the Phantom Guardians seen in Phantom Hourglass are, through a series of events, periodically controllable. It was the first time in the series that both Link & Zelda work together on the quest.

Super Mario Kart was the first non-platforming game to feature multiple playable characters from the Mario franchise, leading the way for not only its various sequels but also the many other spin-offs that the Mario characters have appeared in, including both sporting games (those relating to tennis, golf, baseball, and soccer) and non-sporting games (Mario Party among other series). The genre-spanning nature of the Mario franchise that was sparked off by the success of Super Mario Kart has been described as key to Mario's success and longevity, keeping fans interested despite the infrequency of the traditional Mario platforming games.[18] Mario Kart and all of the franchise's other spin-off series have helped it rise to its present status as the best-selling video game franchise of all time.
But even after getting chocobos, there's the extremely irritating issue of literal miles of invisible walls along roadways for no discernable reason I can see other than to make it difficult to get anywhere with any degree of ease. It wouldn't even be quite so irritating if it was a consistent rule, but it isn't! Some rails you can jump off of, some you can't, and there is no way to tell the difference until you try. It might make sense if it was a drop that would probably kill you if you lept off, but usually it's just some grass on the other side, infuriatingly out of reach over a very low jump unless you take the looooong way around. And, again, some of these rails go on for miles. How fun do you think it is to run your chocobo for miles and miles, searching for some obtuse way out? What a stupid decision.
Sakaguchi wanted the game to have a simple abbreviation in the Roman alphabet (FF) and a four-syllable abbreviated Japanese pronunciation (efu-efu). "Fantasy" was chosen due to the setting, though "Final" was originally intended to be "Fighting", and was changed to avoid conflict with the tabletop game Fighting Fantasy.[4] Though Final Fantasy was released at a time when competing games, such as Sega's Phantasy Star and Dragon Quest III, were released, it pulled Square out of its financial crisis, and when released three years later in North America, outsold several of its peers.
Beginning on the PlayStation in 1997, a 3D action game series called Mega Man Legends was created to take advantage of the console's advanced graphics hardware. The Legends series is set in the same world as the other Mega Man games, although thousands of years in the future. The world is covered by immense bodies of water and features the return of several major characters from the original series in different situations. The hero, Mega Man (Rock) Volnutt, is a relic hunter called a "Digger" who scavenges various ruins throughout the world in search of refractor shards that can be mined and traded as currency. Mega Man Legends brings the gameplay into 3D and is an action adventure with role-playing game elements.
Wily stumbled upon Proto Man one day, who was dying when his energy system was malfunctioning. He repaired him, and while analyzing him he discovered that he had found a way to create robots at the same level as Dr. Light. He decided to reprogram Dr. Light's industrial robots to exact revenge. One day, the industrial robots became misled and forced under his rule. With his new followers, Wily seized control of the city and demanded recognition. This string of events set in motion what would later become the purpose for Mega Man's existence.
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Up smash Spark Shock 2% (hit 1), 1.5% (hits 2-6), 6% (hit 7) Mega Man turns both of his hands into electrodes, creating a powerful multi-hitting surge of electricity above him. It is overall useful due to its large hitbox, anti-air properties and quick startup, though it has noticeable ending lag. If an opponent is made tiny by a Lightning Bolt, it's possible to OHKO them. Based on Spark Man's weapon from Mega Man 3.
The Mario Kart series' player-character rosters generally consist of memorable characters from the Mario universe, including the main protagonist Mario; his brother Luigi; his love interest Princess Peach; his sidekick Yoshi; his friends Toad, Princess Daisy, and Rosalina; his antagonists and rivals Donkey Kong, Wario, and Waluigi; and his nemesis Bowser; among others. Each character's kart has different capabilities with differing levels of top speed, acceleration and handling.
Jump up ↑ "The prince immediately questioned the princess, but she wouldn't tell him anything. After the prince, the magician threatened to put the princess into an enternal sleep if she did not talk, but even still, she said nothing. In his anger, the magician tried to cast a magic spell on the princess. The surprised prince tried to stop him, but the magician fought off the prince and went on chanting the spell. Then, when the spell was finally cast, Princess Zelda fell on that spot and enter a sleep from which she might never awake. At the same time, the magician also fell down and breathe his last." (The Adventure of Link manual, pg. 7, 8)

When awarding Link with the title of Royal Engineer during his Graduation Ceremony, Zelda slips him a note, warning him of the suspicious Chancellor Cole and instructing Link to take a hidden path and meet her in secret. Zelda requests Link's aid in investigating the mystery of the vanishing Spirit Tracks, which entails Link helping her sneak out of the castle. She then presents Link with a change of clothing, the Recruit Uniform, which will help Link blend in with the similarly dressed guards as they escape the castle. Upon exiting the castle, Link and Zelda enlist the aid of Alfonzo, Link's Master Engineer and mentor, to take them towards the Tower of Spirits. However, the tracks begin to vanish out from underneath their train before they witness the tower's levels being separated and then are stopped in their tracks by Chancellor Cole and Byrne. Byrne easily defeats Link and Alfonzo while Cole uses his magic to force Zelda's spirit out of her body.

Jump up ↑ "I set out for Goron City today to make some adjustments to Divine Beast Vah Rudania. I still recall feeling his eyes on me as I walked ahead. The feeling stayed with me so long, I grew anxious and weary. It is the same feeling I've felt before in his company... And still, not a word passed his lips. I never know what he's thinking! It makes my imagination run wild, guessing at what he is thinking but will not say." — Zelda's Diary (Breath of the Wild)

The Mario Kart series has been referenced twice in the Paper Mario role-playing game series. Luigi references it in an "adventure" of his which he recounts between chapters of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, where in the third of his stories, he states that he visited a location called "Circuit Break Island" where kart races are organized every day. Later, in Paper Mario: Color Splash, once all six Big Paint Stars have been retrieved, Luigi drives his kart on Rainbow Road to transport Mario to Bowser's castle to defeat him and restore peace to Prism Island; when Bowser (who has been transformed by black paint) is reverted to normal upon his defeat, he asks Mario if they have a kart race scheduled. Additionally, several stages based on Mario Kart have appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. Brawl features a Mario Circuit stage based on Figure-8 Circuit from Mario Kart DS, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS features a Rainbow Road stage based on its appearance in Mario Kart 7, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U features a Mario Circuit stage based on its appearance in Mario Kart 8, as well as reusing the Mario Circuit stage from Brawl. Although not actually shown in the first Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, the franchise (which at that time had been composed of just Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64) was alluded to in a promotional ad for the game in Nintendo Power, where it mentioned that Nintendo's famous cast had previously "raced go-karts" when announcing their new role in the fighting ring.

The Mega Man series has always been known for its difficulty, but as someone who has mixed feelings on difficult games, one of the things I always loved about the series is most of the games (except a few) were fair when it came to being difficult. This meant either more checkpoints as the series evolved, or short levels like the older titles. This gave the player the opportunity to learn the levels without punishing them and the bosses waiting at the end were usually pretty quick and easy to beat provided you had the right weapon to exploit their weakness.
A reader brought to my attention this translation of an interview between one of the developers of the original Mega Man games (“A.K” in the credits) and one of the (probably more well-known) artists for some of the Rockman manga (he did Megamix, among many others). What I find amusing about this arrangement is ordinarily you would expect both of these men to be interviewed, rather than one of them interviewing the other.
Princess Zelda is one of the three most important characters of The Legend of Zelda series, which is also why her name appears in the title of every game. Princess Zelda first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda, and has since been featured in every subsequent game, with the exception of Link's Awakening. Each incarnation of the Princess is chosen by destiny to be the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom in their respective eras, which is the main reason why they play such an integral role in the legends of Hyrule.
After defeating Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle, at Windvane Meadow, Zelda aids Link in his battle with Calamity Ganon's second form, Dark Beast Ganon, gifting him with the Light Bow and giving him advice on how to defeat him. After Link hits Ganon's weak spot, Zelda herself appears, freed from her own sealing magic. She then uses her powers to seal away Ganon for good, entrapping him in an explosion of light. As she and Link reunite face-to-face for the first time in a hundred years, she asks him with a smile if he remembers her.
Zelda is depicted as a kind and benevolent ruler with a wisdom beyond her years and a deep love towards the people she watches over. She is a caring, graceful and self-sacrificing person.[25][26] Zelda's most prominent display of compassion and selflessness was when she saved the life of Midna, the Princess of the Twilight Realm, who had been nearly killed by the false King of the Twilight, Zant.[27] Zelda's wisdom is her most valuable attribute. As a matriarch, it is imperative that she make the wisest decision concerning the fate of Hyrule; in Twilight Princess when Zant threatened her life and the lives of all of her subjects, she wisely surrendered to him.[28] She upholds her responsibilities no matter the cost and is always willing to help her friends, such as in Skyward Sword, where Zelda faces her duties as the goddess reborn and willingly remains in a deep sleep to keep Demise imprisoned within his seal.[29] Above all, Zelda is known to be a forgiving person even towards those who have harmed her before, as seen in Spirit Tracks, where she asks Anjean to take care of Byrne even though he was the one who stole her body.[30]
Princess Zelda was set to appear in the unreleased game Mystical Seed of Courage. In the game, she was to be the one responsible for managing the four seasons of Hyrule, in a role similar to Din's in Oracle of Seasons. She would be kidnapped by Ganon, which, along with the disappearance of the Rod of Seasons, would cause Hyrule's seasons to go out of control.
The first game in the Mega Man ZX series was released in 2006. It takes place about 200 years after the Zero series in which progression has led to the mixing of physical attributes between humans and robots; humans are given the physical advantages of robots, and robots are given lifespans. Therefore, this is the first game in the main storyline in which the player can control a human character. Players collect Biometals containing data on the legendary heroes of the past (including X, Zero, and the Four Guardians of the Mega Man Zero series). Using these Biometals, they are able to "Mega-Merge" with them to don the powers of the fallen heroes.

The Wind Waker is parallel, and takes place in the other timeline branch, more than a century after the adult era of Ocarina of Time.[45][46] Phantom Hourglass is a continuation of the story from The Wind Waker,[47] and is followed by Spirit Tracks, which is set about 100 years later on a supercontinent far away from the setting of The Wind Waker.[48] At the time of its release, Four Swords for the Game Boy Advance was considered the oldest tale in the series' chronology, with Four Swords Adventures set sometime after its events.[49] The Minish Cap precedes the two games, telling of the origins of villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword.[50] A Link Between Worlds takes place six generations after Link to the Past. Important events that occur in the game include the Triforce being reunited, and Ganon being resurrected.[51]

Zelda is the daughter of the King of Hyrule, and eventually the Seventh Sage and the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. She is also the leader of the Sages. The heir to the Royal Family, Zelda is of the Hylian race with blonde hair and blue eyes. She begins the game as a young girl about 10-12 years old, who is gifted with psychic abilities. In a dream of symbolic importance, she senses Ganondorf's treachery and predicts Link's arrival before either occurs. When Link meets her for the first time in Hyrule Castle's courtyard, she sends him on a quest to collect the three Spiritual Stones and protect the Triforce from Ganondorf. When Ganondorf attacks Hyrule Castle, Zelda and her nursemaid, Impa, flee the castle on horseback.
The Mario Kart series' player-character rosters generally consist of memorable characters from the Mario universe, including the main protagonist Mario; his brother Luigi; his love interest Princess Peach; his sidekick Yoshi; his friends Toad, Princess Daisy, and Rosalina; his antagonists and rivals Donkey Kong, Wario, and Waluigi; and his nemesis Bowser; among others. Each character's kart has different capabilities with differing levels of top speed, acceleration and handling.
Mario Kart Wii is a kart racing game featuring single-player and multiplayer modes. The players control of one of many selectable Mario franchise characters and participate in races or battles using karts or bikes on courses thematically based on locations from the Mario franchise. During gameplay, the player views the action from a third-person perspective that tracks the player from behind his or her kart. The player can perform tricks while driving that produce speed boosts, such as mid-air stunts, drifting, slipstreaming, and wheelies (bikes only).[3]

Granted, you don't have to manually drive everywhere; there is a fast-travel option which costs a pittance of gil. But you don't get chocobos until Chapter 3, and if you're anything like probably a good majority of RPG enthusiasts, you do as many quests as you can, as early as you can. This means a ton of very slow walking/sprinting in a sprawling, rather empty world, and early on it's a bunch of rather boring sandy/rocky scenery.

In The Wind Waker, Tetra (as Princess Zelda) briefly wields the Master Sword that had been dropped by Link, making her one of the few people besides Link to be shown wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane. Her ability to wield it proves that Tetra (despite being a pirate) possesses a heart untainted by evil, as it has often been stated that evil beings are incapable of touching and or wielding it. However as she wields it only briefly before returning it to Link, it is unknown if Tetra could wield it as effectively as the various incarnations of the Hero. Being a pirate, Tetra is implied to possess some sword fighting skills and carries a short dagger-like blade, which she is shown wielding in promotional artwork. In the spin-off Hyrule Warriors series, she wields cutlasses (along with magically infused pistols) and is even capable of performing the Spin Attack.
Mega Man would later rank 16th on the third tier list, a very slight drop in favor of Marth claiming 10th place. Currently, however, due to his huge lack of consistent results, Mega Man is currently ranked 27th on the fourth and current tier list, suffering the largest drop between the third and fourth tier lists. Some smashers have said said that Mega Man should be higher due to his amazing projectile game and his matchup spread, while others like ZeRo think that Mega Man is overrated and that his placing is somewhat accurate.

The best known and widely used battle system is the Active Time Battle pseudo-turn-based system introduced in Final Fantasy IV where characters can perform an action when their ATB gauge is full. The fill rate is affected by stats, status effects, abilities used and other factors requiring the player to be economical with time. Many games feature a variant of this system. As an early example, Final Fantasy XII uses the Active Dimension Battle system to determine the rate at which characters will perform actions input through menus or the gambit system; there are no random encounters, and the player can move the character around the field and must be within the range of the enemy they are using their skill on.

Just as there are multiple Links, there are multiple Zeldas throughout the series. Generally close in age to her respective Link, Zelda is most often portrayed as a child, but has been portrayed as a teenager or young adult on five occasions: in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
LIkewise, while many of the levels are incredibly well designed such as Block Man's stage (which makes a great tutorial for the double gear system) or Tundra Man's stage, this just makes it more obvious when level design falls short of expectations. Bounce Man's stage may be the single most frustrating stage to appear in a classic Mega Man game, and the flame wall in Torch Man's stage is more frustrating than challenging.
I bought this for my kids because of the great memory I had playing Zelda 2 when I was a kid. That was one of the most challenging and rewarding games I had ever finished. I've not played video games for over 25 years until getting the switch and BOTW. I am amazed at how much gaming has improved and how much I've missed out! I like that this game is not all about fighting and is not too violent and gruesome. The game is fun for all ages and even my youngest 5 year old boy enjoys playing it, although he mostly just explores the villages and experiment with cooking. The biggest problem with this game is that it is so addictive that we'll play it all day and don't want to do anything else. So my wife is not too happy.

Zelda was the young matriarch of Hyrule until its invasion by Zant, the Twilight King, to whom she surrendered in order to prevent the death of her people. Subsequently, she is imprisoned inside a tower in Hyrule Castle, although unlike her people, she does not become a spirit under the influence of the Twilight (possibly due to her implied possession of the Triforce of Wisdom). It is here that she meets Link, transformed into a wolf by the Twilight's power, though their conversation is cut short due to the arrival of her guard.

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